Oliver Alexander was born in Southern California and started acting at the age of 4 in the Glendale Centre Theater’s production of The King and I. Soon after his debut as a royal child, he started booking roles in such shows as Disney’s Sydney to the Max with Caroline Rhea and Jackson Dollinger, Fox’s 9-1-1 Lonestar with Rob Lowe, and L.A.’s Finest with Jessica Alba and Gabrielle Union. Currently, he is starring in HBO Max’s newest hit The Garcia’s as Max Garcia Ramirez, the son of Julian Ramierez played by the incomparable Paul Rodriguez. Ever since landing his first big feature film The Curse of Llorona with Linda Cardellini, his career has been on fire! In addition to his TV and film roles, Oliver has done two award winning short films and nine National Commercials. Even at his young age, Oliver is passionate about giving back to the community by lending his support to charities that help those with Autism, Down syndrome as well as environmental charities. Athletic as well as talented, he has played every major sport and excels at Lacrosse, Jujitsu, Gymnastics, and Parkour. When not working, this boy scout enjoys playing the piano and traveling with his trooP.
HI, WELCOME TO ABOUT INSIDER THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO CHAT WITH US! CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF, WHO IS OLIVER ALEXANDER IN YOUR OWN WORDS?
Thanks for having me. A little about me and who I am. I’m an 11-year-old Leo, soon to be 12 and soon to be a 7th grader! My favorite school subjects are Math and Science. I love acting but when I’m not working on set, filming, or studying lines, I like to work on bettering myself. I’m very involved in sports, I love outdoor activities and I play the piano. When time permits, I also like to volunteer in and around my community. I also enjoy watching anime.
YOU STARTED ACTING AT THE AGE OF 4 WITH THE GLENDALE CENTRE THEATER’S PRODUCTION OF THE KING AND I, HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?
At the age of four my music teacher, Mr. Masuyama, suggested I audition for the King and I at Glendale Centre Theatre. When I arrived for the audition they handed me a sheet of music, at that time I wasn’t reading yet, and so I remember standing in a room full of older kids pretending I knew the lyrics. Haha. It must have worked because I got a callback which led to my very first booking! 31 shows later and a ton of late nights, I enjoyed every moment! Now here I am!!
TELL US ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY FROM DISNEY’S SYDNEY TO THE MAX TO L.A.’S FINEST?
It has been such a great journey. Working on Disney’s Sydney to the Max was a great start. I couldn’t have possibly asked for a better opportunity. I learned so much from the amazing cast and crew. They truly showed me the ropes and helped introduce me to what set life was like. It also really helped me transition into my role on L.A.’s Finest. That was a very fun shoot. Most of the scenes were shot on location after dark. I remember thinking, wow most kids my age are getting ready for bed and here I am getting to stay up, shoot and play with the other kids on set!
TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT HBO MAX’S NEWEST HIT THE GARCIA’S
The Garcias showcases an American Latino family vacationing in Mexico. It’s a great family oriented, fun show. It filmed entirely in Puerto Adventura, Mexico for a total of 3 1/2 months. The cast and crew were made up of about 98% Latinx demographic. All ten episodes are currently streaming on HBO Max.
TELL ME ABOUT A TIME WHERE YOU HAD DIFFICULTY WITH A CHARACTER. WHAT WAS THE ROLE AND WHY WAS IT CHALLENGING?
In 2019, I auditioned for one of the most difficult characters I have ever played. It was for the role of Joel for a short film called The Humming of the Beast. That role consisted of lines in English and Spanish. Unfortunately, I don’t speak Spanish, so I struggled to get the accent down. I remember stressing over my lines, I felt like I wasn’t ever gonna get the lines down. This industry is very tough but like everything else in life, hard work, determination and perseverance always prevails. So, after lots of tears and practice, I was able to get the lines and accent down and I booked it!!
HOW IS YOUR EXPERIENCE OF SHARING THE SCREEN WITH HOLLYWOOD A-LISTERS?
Honestly working with A-Listers is a huge perk. I love to soak up whatever information or advice they share with me. There’s nothing better than watching firsthand how they prepare to take on their given roles. That’s always been so fascinating to me.
OLIVER ALEXANDER IS A RENOWNED NAME TODAY; HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT ALL THE SUCCESS YOU HAVE ACHIEVED AT SUCH A TENDER AGE?
I feel like I’ve been very fortunate to have been able to book a variety of roles at such a young age. I don’t let any of that get over my head. Honestly, I don’t even think about any of that. I like to just take things a day at a time. I’m always grateful for the opportunities that have come my way and always strive to do my best.
ANY UPCOMING PROJECTS/ROLES YOU CAN TALK ABOUT?
I don’t have any upcoming projects at this time. I still manage to keep pretty busy though. I’m fortunate to get one or two auditions per week and sometimes those can take a lot of time to prep, review, and memorize. Not to mention film, edit and submit. Talks of a Season 2 for The Garcias have also begun to start circling around. I’m hopeful that it gets picked up for another season. I really enjoyed working with the entire cast and crew. We have such a neat family vibe that truly feels like we are all an extended family. In the mean, I also make the most of my time homing in on other activities like piano, lacrosse and schoolwork.
WHAT IS ONE MESSAGE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO GIVE TO YOUR FANS?
You can do whatever you put your mind to and Follow your dreams, believe in yourself and don’t give up. – Rachel Corrie
WHERE CAN OUR READERS FIND YOU ONLINE?
Instagram: @oliveralexander
TikTok: @theoliveralexander
